How to Optimise Rendering

1. Styles

1.1 Styles - Profiles

“Profiles” really slow down your model* and can make things look cartoonish. Try turning them off, then update both the Style and the Scene to save that new Style, if applicable.

*Profiles only create performance issues when using the Classic Graphics Engine (Pre 2024). This should not be an issue if using the New Graphics Engine.

• Doesn’t that look better? Make sure to save the new style and update existing scene styles.
• ‘Hide Edges’ also makes things like plants look much better!

1.2 Styles - Geometry

• If needed, switch to the “Shaded” style while building geometry, as textured materials can slow down rendering.
• Turn off hidden geometry when not editing hidden lines.
• Use a “fast modeling” style when building the model and save it for your “Working” scene. A green clock within the Style thumbnail means fast performance!

2. Stand-Ins

2.1 Stand-In (Proxy) Components - Improves Rendering While Modeling 

• Save a complex component to your hard drive as a reference back-up.
• In the model, edit and simplify that component to a few lines, or a rectangle, so that it renders more easily than the “real” component.
• Later, when it’s time to present the model, right click on the component in the model and select Reload.
• In the Reloading navigation folder, find the saved component on your computer and select it.

2.2 The Select/Replace technique works just as well.

• Use a low-poly tree, for example, until it is time to present the model.
• When it’s time to show the model, import a high-poly model into the file (place it anywhere).
• Select all of the low-poly components.
• In the Components Window, right-click on the high-poly component and select “Replace Selected.”
• Delete the first randomly placed high-poly component.

3. Shadows and Fog 

3.1 Turn off Shadows and Fog 

• If the model is acting sluggish, turn off shadows and fog while working on the model, and before saving.
• Save the “Working” or “Minimal” scenes without shadows or fog for quick modeling modes.
• Save specific Scene Tabs with Shadows or Fog only for quick presentation views, if the model complexity is small enough to render shadows.

4. Save

4.1 Save

• Save the model quickly after loading a new material, component, or anything that rapidly increases file size.
• If you don’t save the file after importing a large component, the file may possibly crash and you’ll lose some work.
• Ensure that you also have your auto-save settings adjusted to regularly save your work, especially if working on a large model that may be more susceptible to crashing.
• Window>Preferences>General